Discoveries: 
1. ​Pianist Omar Sosa, kora player Sekou Keita, & incredible percussionist Gustavo Osvalles put on a great show at the Carrboro Arts Center Tuesday night:​ Having listened to their "Transparent Water" CD on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAA3IxB55rk&t=172s), I expected mellow music. Wrong! But also right​: they upped the tempo, improvised enthusiastically, danced, & turned the show delightfully upside-down for me. I hope YouTube has such live shows from their tour soon...

​2. ​Yeaux Katz is still the best jazz bar band in Carrboro:​ Yeah, I know it's the only​ such band in Carrboro, but that don't matter. They play jazz standards enthusiastically, they've gotten tighter, &--unlike many such local venues--they now have a weekly audience. It's a fun Carrboro thing...

3. ​Young guitarist & NCCU grad student Devin Frazier is worth hearing:​ I'd only heard him in a limited role in the NCCU big band, but when he noted having studied at ECU with Scott Sawyer, I said "aha!" He left a lot of room for nominal sideman saxist Dave Finucane--to the point where it almost seemed like Dave's gig--but that worked out well: Dave was fabulous & the gig left me wanting to hear Devin expand into more soloing. Thus, I want to hear more of him (& you should too)...

4. ​Guitarist & musical mollusk Brad Maiani's back at the West End Wine Bar every last Sunday of the month:
​Gratefully, the WEWB decided to bring him back on a limited but regular basis. Another chance for a relatively private concert of good jazz.

This Week:​ With basketball pretty much out of the way of jazz gigs (except maybe next Monday night), there's a fuller schedule this week than the last two.

Sunday:​ Before Brad Maiani plays I'll go to the Hayti Center to hear new (I think) local vocalist Nikki Rivers do a Sarah Vaughn tribute at 3p. I'm going partly to check out her singing.

Monday:​ Grewen & Griffin do instrumental & vocal standards at Imbibe 7p, while the trad jazz Second Line Stompers encourage dancing at the Pittsboro Roadhouse 7:30p.

Tuesday:​ The NC Jazz Repertory Orchestra (NCJRO) fills the Sharp Nine with big band arrangements from Back Then til Just Now--& usually sells out the place.

Wednesday: Five gigs on a Wednesday, believe it or not!

• There's competition at 7p: bassist James Suter plus a local guitarist at Durham's Bar Virgile, & Yeaux Katz living up to their jazz bar band status at Carrboro's 2nd Wind.
• More competition at 8:30p: Guitarist James Gilmore does his free jazz thing at Durham's Pinhook, while in Raleigh the Sidecar Social Club does its roadhouse jazz thing at Humble Pie.
• The Jazz At the Mary Lou at Duke continues humming (or throbbing) along at 930p.

Thursday: Only three gigs...

• ​Our eminent local Latin orchestra, the Orchesta Gardel plays at UNC's Center for the Study of the American South (CSAS)--aka the interestingly named Love House--at 5:30p. It will be warm enough to sit on that lawn!
• Al Strong's quartet leads into an art lecture re trumpeter Buddy Bolden at Duke's Nasher Museum 5:30p.
• Ernest Turner leads his jazz jam at Imbibe 8p.

Friday:​ Not even counting the Piedmont Triad Jazz Orchestra playing Wayne Shorter at Greensboro's Carolina Theater at 7p, there are eight​ gigs to choose among!

• ​At 5:30p the NCMA Iris Restaurant presents the Peter Lamb trio (note: Peter's website hasn't this listed).
• At 6:30 pianist/singer Lydia Sallett Dudley leads a jazz jam at Raleigh's Aloft Hotel.
• At 6:30 veteran local pianist Elmer Gibson plays at Irregardless.
• At 7p jazzy blues guitarist Calvin Edwards makes a regular stop at Beyu.
• At 8p Charlotte-based pianist Lovell Bradford returns to Sharp Nine with a quartet.
• At 9p saxist Brian Miller cuts through the chatter at C Grace.
• At 9p pianist Zach Gossett plays more quietly upstairs at the Empress Room.
• At 9:30p the usual Latin jazz appears at Cuban Revolution.

Saturday:​ Easier choices...

• ​Pianist Gary Brunotte at Irregardless 6p.
  
• Sidecar Social Club fits nicely into the cocktail bar that is C Grace 9:30p
  
• Pianist Frank Longino & singer Angela Bingham bring old & new jazz standards to the Empress Room 9:30
  
• Cuban Revolution, as above.​​​​

​​ Discoveries:

1. ​Another private concert (this time, West End Wine Bar/Durham):​ So, en route to the Blue Note Grill (see next Discovery) I stop at WEWB/Durham to see who's playing since they don't advertise, & I stumble into another private concert. The music of pianist Noah Sager, bassist Ben Palmer (of WHUP fame), & drummer Jake Buchanan forced me to stay. The wet, cold weather kept their usual crowd away, so it was me & the bartenders listening. They play all Sundays but the first of the month, when the Latin Trio Mambo takes over. Worth a stop on Sunday 4-6p.

2. ​The Atomic Rhythm All-Stars are the best hot jazz band around here:​ I had heard of ARAS but not listened to them live until Sunday evening at the Blue Note, where they packed the house with jazz traveling from 1920s New Orleans through Chicago to New York. They're very good & worth hearing again when you're the mood for that change of pace or perhaps a little dancing. They have a residency at Neptune's Parlor in Raleigh during April.

3. ​I'm confused about how many Al Strong jazz jams are left at the Durham Hotel:​ The Hotel schedule extends to 4/19; Al's website extends into June. More to come when I know more.

​4. I can survive a week without live jazz (so far):​ Maybe the Atomic Rhythm All-Stars overwhelmed me last Sunday, but I shifted to fine old timey & Irish string music this week at the Nightlight. More likely, I just needed a change of pace...

​This Week:​ Choices for getting back to live jazz...

Monday:​ I can catch Grewen & Griffin at Imbibe 7p or dance the night away to the Triangle Jazz Orchestra at the Pittsboro Roadhouse 7:30p.

​Tuesday = Extravore Jazz Alert: ​I'll be at the Carrboro Arts Center to see Cuban pianist Omar Sosa & kora player Sekou Keita. All you have to do is click this to hear their "Transparent Water" CD--all the reason needed to seek them out.​

​Wednesday: I can either catch pianist Frank Longino at the Empress Room 7:30p &/or head to Humble Pie to see Peter Lamb & the Wolves 8:30p.

​Thursday:​ I can either go to Al Strong's jazz jam at the Durham Hotel 8p or hear Mark Well on piano at C Grace 9p. I don't care about basketball.

​Friday:​

• ​I'll be at Sharp Nine to hear young guitarist Devin Frazier 8p--in part because saxist Dave Finucane's his sideman. Always worth hearing those infrequent times when Dave plays, but ya'll can go to...
• Tea Cup Gin's at Hillsborough's Hot Tin Roof.
  
• Tin Tux lights up C Grace 9p.
  
• Cuban Revolution does its Latin thing 9:30p.
  

Saturday:

• ​The Noir Bar in Raleigh's Glenwood South district has its first jazz performer that I know of in Shana Tucker (who put on a fine performance at Sharp Nine recently) 8p.
• Al Strong's Quartet successfully quiets cocktail lounge chatter at C Grace 9p.
  
• Gary Brunotte does the same upstairs at the Empress Room 9p.
  
• Rewind: Cuban Revolution does its Latin thing 9:30p.
  

​Discoveries:

1. ​Personal concerts are way too easy to find:​ So I go to the Empress Room to hear Jonathan Markow play fine jazz standards on a Wednesday night. One other person was there, reading a crime novel. Ergo, I could sit next to Jonathan, talk about music, make requests, & listen to very good jazz playing. It's the kind of experience ya'll need to indulge yourselves in. See This Week below to find an indulgence or two.

2. Two more winners:​ NCCU Master's student composer/pianist Zach Gossett & UNC undergrad bassist/composer Kevin Beardsley both won this year's 360 Degree Jazz competition at UNC, the UNC Jazz faculty playing those compositions last Thursday night. ​Is this another indulgence you missed?

This Week:​ Plenty of opportunities to indulge yourselves for "private" concerts...

Monday: Danny Grewen & Robert Griffin (aka Griffanzo) entertain small crowds at Imbibe 7-10p.​

Tuesday:​ Pianist (& educator) Alison Weiner--aka Mahalo Jazz--does her weekly duo gig at the Eddy Pub in Saxapahaw 7-9p.

Wednesday:

• ​Yeaux Katz maintain their reputation as Carrboro's best jazz bar band at 2nd Wind 7-9p.
• Guitarist Jimmy Gilmore leads a mellow free jazz improve gig (not a contradiction in terms!) at Durham's Pinhook 8:30p.
• Sidecar Social Club does its semi-monthly gig at Humble Pie 8:30p.

​
Thursday: Choices grow...

• Tea Cup Gin pours out '30-40s throwback jazz at Irregardless 6:30p.
• While Gary Brunotte's Latin duo is at Vinos Finos 6:30p.
• Ernest Turners leads the weekly jam session at Imbibe (worth catching just for his playing).

Friday: Choices stabilize...

• Drummer Donovan Cheatham leads a trio--including unknown-but-fine guitarist Brad Maiani--at Durham's Millenium Hotel 8p.
• Free playing extravore saxist Ned Ferm (with Jimmy Gilmore) is at the Art Center 8:30p.
• Cuban Revolution does its Latin thing 9:30p.

​Saturday: A few more...

• The Onyx Club Boys bring gypsy swing to Pittsboro's City Tap 8p.
• While the Mint Julep Jazz Band propels the Triangle Swing Dance Society at Carrboro's Century Center 8p.
  
• Andrew Berinson leads a quartet at C Grace 9p.
  
• Cuban Revolution does its Latin thing 9:30p.